Find out how popular the last name Alkire is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Alkire.

Alkire, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Alkire surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alkire in America

Alkire is the 11818th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alkire surname appeared 2,648 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Alkire.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alkire to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Alkire

The surname Alkire is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest known roots dating back to the 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old German word "alker," which means "alder tree" or "alder grove." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked with alder trees.

In the early records, the name was often spelled in various ways, such as Alker, Alcker, and Alkier, reflecting the regional dialects and phonetic variations of the time. One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the town records of Worms, Germany, where a certain Hans Alcker was mentioned in 1563.

As people migrated across Europe, the name spread to other regions, including the Netherlands and eventually to the Americas. One notable bearer of the name was Johann Alkier, a German-born immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania in the late 17th century and is considered one of the earliest known Alkires in the American colonies.

Throughout the centuries, the Alkire name has been associated with various occupations and professions. In the 18th century, there was a record of a Wilhelm Alkier, a respected blacksmith in the town of Heidelberg, Germany. In the 19th century, a prominent figure was David Alkire, an American businessman and politician who served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives from 1842 to 1844.

Another noteworthy individual was Clara Alkire, a renowned educator and author who lived from 1872 to 1958. She wrote several books on teaching methods and was widely recognized for her contributions to the field of education.

In the 20th century, one of the most well-known bearers of the Alkire name was Lester Alkire, an American aviator and explorer who participated in several Arctic and Antarctic expeditions. He was born in 1899 and played a significant role in the exploration of remote regions.

While the Alkire surname may not be as widely recognized as some other names, its rich history and diverse bearers have left an indelible mark across various fields and regions throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alkire

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Alkire.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Alkire was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Alkire has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Alkire was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Alkire, please contact us.

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